Clause 9 - The registrar
Hunting Bill
3:52 pm
Mr Colin Pickthall (West Lancashire, Labour)
The right hon. Member for West Dorset said that he recognised the difficulties—[Interruption.] I do not know where that came from. I meant the hon. Member for North Wiltshire.
I return to the word ''affiliations'' in amendment No. 305. It is a difficult word that is almost infinitely applicable, as is ''association'' in an earlier amendment. For example, it could apply to millions of trade unionists who do not belong to the Labour party but whose unions are affiliated to it. It could equally apply to trade unionists who vote Conservative or Liberal, as many do. They could all be ruled out by the word ''affiliations'' because their organisations are affiliated to the Labour party, although they have nothing to do with it. That does not apply to all civil service unions, but it applies to some.
To follow up the point that my hon. Friend the Member for Wolverhampton, South-West (Rob Marris) made in an intervention this morning, I find the comparisons with employment tribunals, other tribunals and the magistrates' system compelling. The law recognises that we all have biases; we all have strong views. We might even have ideologies that are distinct—many people are members of political parties. However, the law demands—as magistrates or tribunal members, for example—that we temper those views to consider evidence on its legal merits.